Introduction

This report is a final statistical record
of battle casualties and nonbattle deaths incurred
during World War II by United States Army
military personnel, including members of the
Army Air Forces. Within the limits prescribed
by available funds, the tables were designed to
meet the minimum over-all requirements of the
Army for statistics on this subject.

The period covered is from 7 December 1941
through 31 December 1946--from the unprovoked
attack on Pearl Harbor to the day hostilities
were declared terminated by Presidential Proclamation
No. 2714.* Battle casualties are shown
in various ways such as type and disposition,
theater, month of occurrence, duty branch, grade
in which serving, component, place of occurrence,
organization, campaign, and area of residence.
Death statistics include classifications
by type of death, theater, month of death, duty
branch, grade in which serving, type of personnel,
and area of residence.

Statistics presented herein supersede similar
data appearing in such reports as the war
Department publication Battle Casualties of the
Army, produced periodically from 1942 through
1 July 1946; the 1 October 1950 and earlier issues
of the Department of the Army publication
Strength of the Army, STM-30; and other reports
which present comparable statistics on
World War II battle casualties and nonbattle
deaths. Death statistics by state of residence
should be obtained form this report, rather than
the World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing,
prepared by The Adjutant General for the
War Department Bureau of Public Relations in
June 1946.

Sources of Data

All oversea theaters initially reported battle casualties to The Adjutant General by radioed or cabled name listings. Beginning early in 1944 the major theaters transmitted their reports by officer courier in the form of individual machine records punched cards for each battle casualty. Information was also received from the International Committee of the Red Cross in Geneva, Switzerland, the United States legation in Berne, Switzerland, and other sources on captured and interned personnel.

The Casualty Branch, AGO, was the official casualty recording and notification agency of the War Department. It was concerned primarily with the receipt and recording of basic reports on individual casualties, and the issuance of notifications to emergency addressees and to appropriate War Department agencies. From these reports the Strength Accounting Branch, AGO, (earlier known as the Machine Records Branch) prepared statistical cards on battle casualties and deaths and statistical tabulations and reports derived from them.

In addition to battle casualty reports, which included both fatal and non-fatal casualties, the oversea theaters reported non-battle

deaths and missing personnel (as distinguished from missing in action) by radio, cable, or officer courier. Dead and missing persons in the continental United States were reported by radio or telegraph by commanders of posts, camps, stations, and airfields. Under the provisions of Section 9 of the "Missing Persons Act," Public Law 490, 77th Congress, 7 March 1942, as amended, the Chief of the Casualty Branch, AGO, made determinations as to whether in the absence of official reports other information received, which was deemed to establish conclusively the fact of death, was to be construed and acted upon as official reports of death. He also made findings of death (see "Declared Dead" on page 4) in the case of missing and missing in action personnel. These are the basic sources for the machine records punched cards from which the death statistics appearing herein were compiled.

After the end of the war, the Office of The Adjutant General over a period of several years audited the statistical cards maintained in that office with the punched card decks which had been maintained in those oversea commands which used the machine records system of recording battle casualties and deaths during World War II. Particular emphasis was placed on the establishment of a complete and accurate punched card file for all deaths of Army (including Army Air Forces) military personnel. The audit of death cases entailed a reconciliation of the punched card death records in the Strength Accounting Branch, AGO, with the death records of the Casualty Branch, AGO.

The statistics presented herein include all changes processed in the card file records through 31 December 1949. Processing after 31 December 1946 consisted primarily of revisions from declared dead to other reportable death categories, from a current wounded or injured in action to a wounded or injured in action disposition status, and from a current missing in action to a declared dead or other reportable. death or battle casualty disposition status. Many changes also resulted from the audit of death cases conducted jointly by the Casualty and Strength Accounting Branches, AGO.

CONTENTS

Battle Casualty Tables

The major portion of this report (pages 8 through 95) is concerned with battle casualties, and except for two tables (page 47 and pages 92 through 95) includes comprehensive data on their subsequent disposition.

Battle casualties are grouped into four principal categories of "Killed in action," "Wounded and injured in action," "Captured and interned," and "Missing in action." They are shown further by the outcome or disposition of each casualty. For instance, statistics on personnel wounded and injured in action contain not only the total reported in that category, but also the number that died of battle wounds and injuries in the oversea commands, the number returned to duty in the oversea commands, and the number evacuated to the United States. Data on

* Japan accepted Allied peace terms on 14 August 1945 (V-J Day), and signed the surrender agreement on 2 September 1945.

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evacuees who died of battle wounds and injuries are shown in a separate column.

Information on the subsequent disposition of battle wounded or injured personnel evacuated to the United States is not available, except for those cases recorded by The Adjutant General as having died of their wounds or injuries. Determination of the disposition of the remainder - returned to duty, separated, died of other causes not attributable to the wounds or injuries, etc. - would have required an exhaustive and expensive examination of personnel records. Although the non-battle deaths among this group of battle casualties cannot be isolated and shown as dispositions of battle casualties, they are recorded in the non-battle death columns of the tables in this report concerned with all Army deaths.

Columns are provided for non-battle deaths under the major categories "Captured and interned" and "Missing in action" in order to show what happened to individuals initially reported as battle casualties, but who subsequently died of disease or other non-battle cause while still in a battle casualty status. The column "Total deaths among battle casualties" includes these non-battle deaths plus those persons who were killed in action, died of wounds and injuries received in action, or were declared dead from a missing in action status.

The totals for the major battle casualty categories "Killed in action," "Wounded and injured in action," and "Captured and interned" represent all persons who were ever reported in those categories (exclusive of erroneous reports). This is not the case, however, for the "Missing in action" total. Missing in action was essentially an unknown status, and consisted of personnel whose whereabouts or actual fate could not be determined and whose disappearance was presumed to be the result of enemy action. Most of the cases originally reported in this category were transferred to a killed in action, wounded and injured in action, or captured and interned status, as established by subsequent information. The remainder are shown in this report under the missing in action dispositions of declared dead, died of other causes (non-battle), or returned to duty.

The table on pages 10 through 45 contains time series data relating to the year and month of occurrence of each casualty, and not to the date of final disposition of the casualty. For example, a person initially reported as wounded in action who subsequently died of wounds is recorded as "Died of wounds" in the year and month in which he was wounded.

Battle and Non-battle Death Tables

The tables on pages 96 through 117 provide data on all deaths of Army military personnel. The battle deaths comprise persons who were killed in action, died of wounds and injuries received in action, or were declared dead from a missing in action status. The non-battle deaths consist of deaths not attributable to battle causes, and include persons who died of disease or other non-battle cause while in a battle casu-

alty status, in addition to all other non-battle deaths Army-wide.

Deaths are recorded in the time series tables on pages 96 through 111 by year and month of death. Persons who were declared dead are shown by year and month of death established in the findings of death made by the Chief, Casualty Branch, AGO (see "Declared Dead" on page 4).

Geographic Area Table

Consolidated battle casualty and death statistics are furnished in the table on page 118 entitled "Battle casualties and deaths, by geographic area of residence." The table contains columns for total battle casualties and for battle and non-battle deaths of personnel in a battle casualty status. These deaths among battle casualties plus those of persons not in a battle casualty status (other non-battle) comprise total Army deaths.

Pacific Area Theaters

Battle casualties and deaths reported by all commands in the Pacific area outside the continental United States, except the Alaskan Department, the U.S. Army Strategic Air Forces, and the commands in China, Burma, and India have been consolidated under the designation "Pacific Theaters." This was necessary because the frequent changes in theater designations and boundaries in that area made impractical the presentation of statistics for the separate commands.

Battle casualties are shown separately for the China-Burma-India Theater, the China Theater and the India-Burma Theater in the tables entitled "Battle casualties by theater, type, and disposition" (pages 8 and 9) and "Battle casualties in Air Corps and all other branches, by month, type, and disposition" (pages 10 through 45). In all other detailed tables which present separate theater data, statistics for these three theaters are consolidated under the designation "Burma, China, and India Theaters."

Statistics for the U.S. Army Strategic Air Forces consist of battle casualties and deaths of personnel in the XX and XXI Bomber Commands, which operated in the Burma, China, and India Theaters and Pacific Theaters, respectively.

Organizational Statistics

The unit codes in the battle casualty statistical punched cards did not identify the specific combat divisions to which the divisional units were assigned. The association of unit to division was obtained from other sources such as station lists, passenger lists, Array directories, and casualty punched cards submitted by various oversea theaters at the close of World War II. A publication entitled "Order of Battle of the United States Army, European Theater of Operations," prepared by the Office of the Theater Historian in December 1945, was particularly helpful in determining the organic elements of the combat divisions in that theater.

The data for combat divisions in the tables on pages 80 through 95 may be understated in

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some instances because of the difficulties met in decoding unit designations in the battle casualty statistical punched cards.

The Orders of Battle and other sources utilized to determine the organic units of the combat divisions generally furnished the structure of each division as of a specific date. Few changes occurred in the unit composition of infantry divisions, but changes in unit assignments resulting from reorganizations of certain armored and airborne divisions affected to an unknown extent the validity of the statistics for those divisions.

Air Force unit data were tabulated from the statistical cards containing codes for Air Corps branch units - fighter, bomber, reconnaissance, etc., and for units of other branches which could be identified as Army Air Forces type -engineer aviation battalions, quartermaster aviation truck companies, signal aviation service battalions, etc.

Campaign Statistics

The battle casualty statistical punched cards did not contain information concerning the specific campaign in which each battle casualty was engaged, since campaign designations, boundaries, and inclusive dates were usually determined after the casualty occurred and were often revised.

Campaign names and dates for this report were obtained from War Department General Orders No. 24 (1947). The following General Orders, which list the units entitled to campaign battle credits, were used to secure identifications of units engaged in each campaign: 59, 85, 87, 91, 93, 94, 96, 99, 102, 103, 114, 116, 118 (1945), 12, 107 (1946), 49 (1947), 29, 63, 72 (1948), and 6 (1950). Campaign statistics were then developed by utilizing the unit codes and battle casualty dates appearing in the statistical cards. Unfortunately, neither the General Orders nor other readily available sources gave the exact dates of participation of the units in each campaign. It was necessary, therefore, to allocate to a specific campaign all of the battle casualties of the participating units for the entire period of the campaign.

The accuracy of the campaign statistics was also influenced by the following factors: the existence of campaigns with overlapping dates and areas and with common participating units (notably the Rhineland and Ardennes-Alsace campaigns), the numerous changes in unit coding in the battle casualty statistical punched cards, the probability of errors in unit codes and casualty dates in the cards, and the tremendous task of relating battle casualty data for the large number of units recorded in the General Orders listing units entitled to battle credits by campaign to the individual campaigns enumerated in General Orders No. 24 (1947).

TERMINOLOGY

Starting with Circular No. 21, dated 24 January 1942, many War Department circulars were issued which explained and progressively clarified, expanded, and restated the battle casualty categories and reporting procedures therefor. The explanations of the major categories (killed in action, died of wounds and injuries received in action, etc.), were not stated definitively in World War II reporting instructions. This undoubtedly resulted in differences in interpretations among the various oversea theaters. However, it is believed that these interpretations were generally along the lines indicated below.

Air Force Units --In tables containing organizational statistics, this term is used in connection with battle casualties suffered by personnel assigned to Army Air Forces type units, including personnel of branches other than Air Corps assigned to such units.

Battle Casualties--All persons killed in action, dead as a result of wounds or injuries received in action, wounded or injured in action, missing in action, captured by the opposing forces, or taken into custody by the authorities of a neutral country as internees. The term "in action" characterized the casualty status as having been incurred as a direct result of enemy action during an engagement or otherwise, or sustained while immediately engaged in, going to, or returning from a combat mission whether or not due to enemy action. Psychoneurosis and other mental disorders developed under battle conditions were specifically excluded from battle casualties by War Department Circular No. 195, dated 1 September 1943. This 1943 action represented not a change in policy but rather a clarification and explicit statement of the original intent. War Department Circular No. 142, dated 14 May 1945 excluded from battle casualties, injuries due to the elements (frostbite, trench foot, immersion foot, etc.). Since however, this circular was issued after V-E Day and after essentially all of the periods of high incidence of cold injury had passed, its effect is subject to question. It is known that in some theaters, directives were in effect for parts of the war period requiring the reporting of severe frostbite actually incurred in combat as battle casualties but excluding trench foot from such reporting.

Battle deaths--All persons killed in action, dead as a result of wounds or injuries received in action, or declared dead from missing in action. This term excludes non-battle deaths of personnel in a battle casualty status of captured, interned, or missing in action. (See "Deaths Among Battle Casualties.")

Branch--In tables showing branch data, all battle casualties, including deaths among such personnel, are distributed by the branch in which serving (duty branch) at the time the initial casualty was incurred. Non-battle deaths, other than those of personnel in a battle casualty status of captured, interned, or missing in action, are distributed by the branch in which serving at the time of death.

Captured--All persons known to have been taken prisoner by opposing forces. In case of doubt as to whether an individual was actually captured, he was reported as missing or missing, in action.

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Deaths Among Battle Casualties--All persons killed in action, dead as a result of wounds or injuries received in action, declared dead from missing in action, and dead of non-battle causes while in a battle casualty status of captured, interned, or missing in action. (See "Battle Deaths.")

Declared Dead --All persons previously reported as missing or missing in action, who were no longer presumed to be living, and in whose cases a finding of death was made by the Chief of the Casualty Branch, AGO, acting for the Secretary of War, pursuant to Section 5 of the "Missing Persons Act," Public Law 490, 77th Congress, 7 March 1942, as amended. Findings of death were made upon or subsequent to 12 months in a missing or missing in action status, and were withheld so long as the person was presumed to be living. They included the date upon which the death was presumed to have occurred for the purposes of termination of crediting pay and allowances, settlements of accounts, and payments of death gratuities. Such date was never less than a year and a day following the day of expiration of the 12 month period. The declared dead columns in this report include figures for those persons classified as declared dead from a missing in action status only. Persons declared dead from a missing status (other than missing in action) are included in the non-battle death statistics in the death tables, but are not separately identified.

Died of Wounds and Injuries Received in Action--All persons wounded or injured in action who subsequently died after reaching an aid station or other medical treatment facility, and personnel in a captured or interned status who died of wounds or injuries received in action.

Divisions--In tables showing organizational statistics, data for divisions pertain to battle casualties suffered by personnel assigned to the Army combat divisions, including the organic elements of each, but excluding the non-divisional units attached to the divisions at various times.

Grade--In tables showing grade data, all battle casualties, including deaths among such personnel, are distributed by the grade in which serving at the time the initial casualty was incurred. Non-battle deaths, other than those among captured, interned, and missing in action personnel, are distributed by the grades in which serving at the time of death.

Interned--All persons known to have been taken into custody by the authorities of a neutral country as internees.

Killed in Action--Persons coming within the purview of "battle casualties," as defined above, who were killed outright, or who died of wounds or injuries before reaching an aid station or other medical treatment facility. This
category includes persons in a captured status who were killed outright by air bombardment or while trying to escape.

Missing--Persons whose whereabouts or actual fate could not be determined, who were not known to be in an unauthorized absence status, for whom there was no conclusive evidence of death or circumstances leading to a logical conclusion of death, and who were presumed not to have been within the purview of "battle casualties," as defined above, at time of disappearance. Deaths of personnel initially reported in this status, including declared dead cases, are recorded in the non-battle death columns of the death tables of this report, but not in the battle casualty tables.

Missing in Action--A classification similar to that of missing, except that personnel in this status came within the purview of "battle casualties," as defined above, at time of disappearance. In the battle casualty tables of this report, persons initially reported in this status and later found to have been actually in another battle casualty status were removed from missing in action and placed in the other status. However, those who were declared dead or were returned to duty, and those who died of non-battle causes are shown as subsequent dispositions from a missing in action status. In the death tables, persons missing in action who were declared dead are included in battle deaths, while those who died of non-battle causes are included in non-battle deaths.

Non-battle Deaths--In the battle casualty tables, this category consists solely of persons who died of disease or other non-battle cause while in a captured, interned, or missing in action status. In the death tables, this category consists of all non-battle deaths, Army-wide, and is comprised of those who died of non-battle causes while in a battle casualty status of captured, interned, or missing in action, as well as all other non-battle deaths.

Other Units --In tables showing organizational data, this term refers to battle casualties suffered by personnel assigned to units which were neither organic elements of combat divisions nor Army Air Forces type units.

Wounded and Injured in Action--Persons coming within the purview of "battle casualties," as defined above, who were wounded or injured. This category includes all kinds of wounds and injuries received in action whether there was a piercing or tearing of the body, as in a penetrating wound, or none, as in a contused wound; fractures whether simple or compound; burns, blasts, concussions, etc. This report includes only those wounded or injured in action personnel requiring hospitalization, except that those who died of wounds or injuries after reaching some type of medical treatment facility but before reaching a hospital are also included.

Published 1 June 1953

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Summary

Battle casualties by type of casualty and disposition, type of
personnel, and theater: 7 December 1941--31 December 1946